Published: Saturday, January 27, 2007 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, January 26, 2007 at 11:00 p.m.

MOBILE - Chris Leak won the national championship and Troy Smith bagged the Heisman Trophy.

Now, they are vying for a more lucrative prize: NFL success.

The two quarterbacks who faced off for a national title nearly three weeks ago will share the field again in today's Senior Bowl to cap a weeklong NFL audition.

Florida's Leak and Ohio State's Smith are all about business, not one-upping each other.

"I don't have anything to prove," said Smith, who won the Heisman Trophy but lost the title game. "I have a lot to gain and (can) better myself.

"I have to just be myself. Hopefully that takes me a long ways. It's taken me this far."

Leak and Smith are two of college football's most high-profile passers, but they aren't the most coveted by the NFL in part because both measured in at almost exactly 6 foot this week. Notre Dame's Brady Quinn visited with NFL officials in Mobile but won't play

in the game after sustaining a bursa sac injury to his right knee.

LSU's JaMarcus Russell is a junior and not eligible for the game. Russell and Quinn are considered candidates for the No. 1 overall pick.

In fact, many of the top NFL prospects - like Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson, Southern California's Dwayne Jarrett and Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson - are underclassmen. Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe Thomas - a projected Top-5 pick - also bowed out of the game.

NFL teams and fans just have to be content with Leak, Smith & Co.

Michigan State's Drew Stanton and Pittsburgh's Tyler Palko join Smith at quarterback on the North team.

On the South, the quarterbacks are Leak, Conference USA's all-time leading passer Kevin Kolb of Houston and UTEP's Jordan Palmer, brother of the Cincinnati Bengals' Carson Palmer.

The past three years, Philip Rivers, Jason Campbell and Jay Cutler all helped secure first-round selections with strong performances during Senior Bowl week.

"There's a little bit of a void behind Russell and Brady Quinn, and it seems like each year someone has emerged at the Senior Bowl," said NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayoch. "I don't see a similar story emerging from this week's practices."

Smith, for instance, was intercepted three times in one mid-week practice, Mayoch said.

"I truly think Drew Stanton probably had the best all-around week of the quarterbacks," he said.

Leak is used to being doubted despite a career filled with yards, touchdowns and question marks. He even had to platoon with a talented freshman in fan favorite Tim Tebow as a senior.

He said he won't let the current doubters distract him.

"It's just like going into a game," said Leak, Florida's alltime passing leader and MVP of the BCS championship game. "You've got to make sure you focus on the right thing."

Besides, he never seemed to let critics affect him on the field.

"He's been as criticized as anybody in the country," said South coach Jon Gruden of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Smith wasn't accustomed to that kind of heat until after the Bowl Championship Series title game. He passed for just 35 yards, was held to minus-29 yards rushing and lost an interception and a fumble in Ohio State's 41-14 loss to Leak and the Gators.

"After the bowl loss, people are scrutinizing that performance and whether or not he is as great as maybe he was in the first (12) games," Gruden said. "That's the way it is."

But like Leak, the businesslike Smith isn't dwelling on the terrible finale. He did, after all, win the Walter Camp player of the year award and the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top quarterback, along with the Heisman. He threw 30 touchdown passes against just six interceptions, three of them off deflections.

"I have an understanding that all of my focus positively needs to be concentrated on this week, on this new part of my life," Smith said. "What's done is done, and I can do nothing about it."

He could take some advice from Leak, who likely won over even his harshest critics by finally winning a Southeastern Conference and national title. He said he's not paying any more heed to talk about his draft stock than he did his college critics.

"I really haven't been able to sit back and listen to it," Leak said. "I've always been the type person that focuses on making sure that I'm prepared for the game and my teammates are prepared. That's how I've done it the entire season, and this is game week."

<p>MOBILE - Chris Leak won the national championship and Troy Smith bagged the Heisman Trophy.</p><p>Now, they are vying for a more lucrative prize: NFL success.</p><p>The two quarterbacks who faced off for a national title nearly three weeks ago will share the field again in today's Senior Bowl to cap a weeklong NFL audition.</p><p>Florida's Leak and Ohio State's Smith are all about business, not one-upping each other.</p><p>"I don't have anything to prove," said Smith, who won the Heisman Trophy but lost the title game. "I have a lot to gain and (can) better myself.</p><p>"I have to just be myself. Hopefully that takes me a long ways. It's taken me this far."</p><p>Leak and Smith are two of college football's most high-profile passers, but they aren't the most coveted by the NFL in part because both measured in at almost exactly 6 foot this week. Notre Dame's Brady Quinn visited with NFL officials in Mobile but won't play</p><p>in the game after sustaining a bursa sac injury to his right knee.</p><p>LSU's JaMarcus Russell is a junior and not eligible for the game. Russell and Quinn are considered candidates for the No. 1 overall pick.</p><p>In fact, many of the top NFL prospects - like Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson, Southern California's Dwayne Jarrett and Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson - are underclassmen. Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe Thomas - a projected Top-5 pick - also bowed out of the game.</p><p>NFL teams and fans just have to be content with Leak, Smith & Co.</p><p>Michigan State's Drew Stanton and Pittsburgh's Tyler Palko join Smith at quarterback on the North team.</p><p>On the South, the quarterbacks are Leak, Conference USA's all-time leading passer Kevin Kolb of Houston and UTEP's Jordan Palmer, brother of the Cincinnati Bengals' Carson Palmer.</p><p>The past three years, Philip Rivers, Jason Campbell and Jay Cutler all helped secure first-round selections with strong performances during Senior Bowl week.</p><p>"There's a little bit of a void behind Russell and Brady Quinn, and it seems like each year someone has emerged at the Senior Bowl," said NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayoch. "I don't see a similar story emerging from this week's practices."</p><p>Smith, for instance, was intercepted three times in one mid-week practice, Mayoch said.</p><p>"I truly think Drew Stanton probably had the best all-around week of the quarterbacks," he said.</p><p>Leak is used to being doubted despite a career filled with yards, touchdowns and question marks. He even had to platoon with a talented freshman in fan favorite Tim Tebow as a senior.</p><p>He said he won't let the current doubters distract him.</p><p>"It's just like going into a game," said Leak, Florida's alltime passing leader and MVP of the BCS championship game. "You've got to make sure you focus on the right thing."</p><p>Besides, he never seemed to let critics affect him on the field.</p><p>"He's been as criticized as anybody in the country," said South coach Jon Gruden of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.</p><p>Smith wasn't accustomed to that kind of heat until after the Bowl Championship Series title game. He passed for just 35 yards, was held to minus-29 yards rushing and lost an interception and a fumble in Ohio State's 41-14 loss to Leak and the Gators.</p><p>"After the bowl loss, people are scrutinizing that performance and whether or not he is as great as maybe he was in the first (12) games," Gruden said. "That's the way it is."</p><p>But like Leak, the businesslike Smith isn't dwelling on the terrible finale. He did, after all, win the Walter Camp player of the year award and the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top quarterback, along with the Heisman. He threw 30 touchdown passes against just six interceptions, three of them off deflections.</p><p>"I have an understanding that all of my focus positively needs to be concentrated on this week, on this new part of my life," Smith said. "What's done is done, and I can do nothing about it."</p><p>He could take some advice from Leak, who likely won over even his harshest critics by finally winning a Southeastern Conference and national title. He said he's not paying any more heed to talk about his draft stock than he did his college critics.</p><p>"I really haven't been able to sit back and listen to it," Leak said. "I've always been the type person that focuses on making sure that I'm prepared for the game and my teammates are prepared. That's how I've done it the entire season, and this is game week."</p>